A Tale of Two Unions : The British Union and the European Union After Brexit

Brexit is a tale of two unions, not one: the British and the European unions. Their origins are different, but both struggle to maintain unity in diversity and both have to face the challenge of populism and claims of democratic deficit. Mark Corner suggests that the ›four nations‹ that make up the UK can only survive as part of a single nation-state, if the country looks more sympathetically at the very European structures from which it has chosen to detach itself. This study addresses both academic and lay audiences interested in the current situation of the UK, particularly the strains raised by devolution and Brexit. Contents Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: Very well, alone! Denying the narrative arc Chapter Three: Europe’s narrative arc Chapter Four: Early attempts at supranationalism Chapter Five: Monnet and his limitations Chapter Six: The long road towards British entry Chapter Seven: The long road towards British departure Chapter Eight: Invasion and Expansion on the Isles Chapter Nine: Saving the UK4 Chapter Ten: Home Rule for Northern Ireland? Chapter Eleven: Wales and the English Chapter Twelve: Wales and a British Union Chapter Thirteen: The Future of the UK and the Problem of Little England Chapter Fourteen: The strange romance of the sovereignty of parliament Chapter Fifteen: Elites and Populists: Upending the top-down approach Chapter Sixteen: On embedding the upward cascade Chapter Seventeen: The Future of the UK Chapter Eighteen: Conclusion Bibliography